Akira of The Fire Ferrets
by FireRoseFanfiction
Summary: When a lost little girl wanders Republic City's streets alone, in search of anyone or anything familiar, she comes across more than she realized she had been looking for. Two brothers, Triads, noodles, and the dark secret of her father's past. This is the story of Akira of The Fire Ferrets, from start to Book 1 as the series progresses!
1. Republic City

**(A/N): I should have done this a long time ago! I do not own Legend of Korra, or adorable child Bolin. I do own Akira until the end of time. Because, as the title states, she is a Fire Ferret we'll be throwing out that pesky Hasook that nobody likes. Other than that, expect cute brotherly moments and little kid-ness as we go!**

She's confused, lost, lonely, and so very hungry. The little girl bumps into every stranger in the crowded streets, looking up at unfamiliar faces that push her away each time. The child watches happy families go about their business, wondering where hers is. Or this place. The smell of fresh food from clustered vendors digs at her nose and growling stomach, pitiful blue eyes earning no sympathy to the tight merchants. A sound of an explosion streets away shatters the atmosphere. Citizens take hold of another, fearfully uttering a word the girl has heard hushed once before.

"Triad!"

They take shelter in the safety of buildings, parents ushering their children inside, leaving the lone girl to fend for herself. Frightened as well, she ducks into a nearby alley and hides behind lone crates filled with odd merchandise.

"Bo! Here!" A boy's voice shouts from the street, heading into her alley. She dares to peek above the wood to see the boy, hardly older than herself, red scarf around his neck and holding two loaves of bread. Sharp golden eyes dart over her area, scanning the alley as the one he called comes over.

"I'm hungry, Mako." The smaller boy pants, though with a smile as his brother hands him a loaf and ruffles his hair.

"All right, eat up. That Triad'll be here soon." Mako begins eating his bread slowly, savoring each bite as Bolin chomps happily. The girl hesitates, her stomach groaning as she eyes them eating. Then Bolin looks to where she is. His green eyes look right at hers, and she knows that he sees her. Carefully, he breaks the rest of his bread in half and hides it up his sleeve, knowing that the girl watches his every move.

"Bo, did you eat it all already?" Mako sighs, his attention back on his little brother. Without a second of hesitation, he hands Bolin the rest of his. "I'm full, so you can have it."

"Thanks." Bolin smiles as Mako returns to his post of spying around the corner for Triad. Pressing a finger to his lips, Bolin retrieves the bread from his sleeve and sets it on the crate for the girl to find. "There."

"C'mon, Bo, time to go." Bolin nods, taking one last glance at the girl's hiding place, and follows Mako out of the alley. The girl watches him leave, shakily getting out of her position. Her stomach moans again as she picks up the bread, and starts to eat it. Salt from the tears that start to fall mix in with it, but she keeps eating it.

"Thank...you." Her voice catches from lack of use. Moments after, she peers out of the alley to where the two must have gone. She wants to thank the kind boy with the bread.

"There's another one!" A rough male's voice growls, getting the girl's attention as she leaves the safety of the alley. "Little rats are everywhere."

The male's two companions agree with a sharp laugh, breaking a nearby vendor with earth and fire in response. Her blue eyes widen at the sight, the burning wood frightening her most. Paralyzed, her feet betray her.

"What's wrong kid, afraid of a little flame?"

"We got our fees from the locals. Can we have fun now?"

"S'just a kid." The leader of the trio determines, then with a twisted grin. "After what that fire brat with the twerp did earlier, I'll overlook this one. Just this once."

"Aw, you got lucky, girl." The fire companion grumbles, then notices the girl's vacant expression. "Hey, I said you got lucky!"

Fire erupts from a fist, flames engulfing the vendor next to her. Heat burns at the right side of her face, a broken memory playing in the inferno. A woman with pure blue eyes waving farewell in red flames. Her tiny hand reaches over her right eyes, small rough patches of burned skin covered by dark brown hair etched forever. Her body shakes, hand returning to side, as water from a jug subdues the fire. Water she had _bended_.

"Really is another one. I lied. Get her."

"My pleasure." The firebender cackles, his element emitting from his outreached hands. With a hopeful gasp, she throws her arms in front of her, water shielding her as another portion douses his hands. An angry growl escapes from him, but her legs gain the ability to move again as she flees. The rest of the Triad see her go, falling and scrambling back up, but make no move to stop the child.

"Nice going, Howzon."

"Can it, Yikka."


	2. Bloodbender

The girl finds herself amongst sparse trees and well-kept bushes, a winding yet calm river before her. Citizens pay the child no mind, couples enjoying the scenery of the now peaceful afternoon. She looks into the depths, shady figures in the form of fish swimming past in schools. Her hands hover over the liquid, unknown power calling out. Shutting her eyes, the child remembers water dancing in floating shapes from what seems forever ago. A faceless man wielding it for her during a time she was sick. A whisper of the man's deep voice carries into her ears, trying to recall what he had looked like as well as the blue-eyed woman.

"Stay here, Bo. I'll be right back."

"M'kay, Mako!"

From where she's crouched, the girl can see the pair by a small bridge. Mako ruffles the boy's wild hair before leaving him on the bridge alone. She watches as Bolin turns away, something squirming out of his shirt and talks to himself. Curious and wanting to thank him for earlier, the girl cautiously approaches him.

"Hi." She manages to say, greatly startlingly him and causing the object hidden in his grasp to fall into the water below.

"Pabu!" Bolin cries out as the baby fire ferret's paws flail about. "I got you!"

Without hesitating, the boy jumps into the water to save the animal that learns to swim in seconds. The girl races to the water's edge, the fire ferret shaking its fur dry with a sneezy squeak, his master shouting in distress.

"Help! I can't-" He bubbles, struggling to stay afloat. She raises her hands above her head, urging the water to bring him to shore with little effect. Quickly, she goes in after him instead, using her arms to propel her towards him. Bolin keeps moving, none of it keeping him up any better as the girl reaches him. She wraps an arm around him, almost dragging them both down as he blindly tries to swim, then stops all movement. The water lulls them to its bank, the girl gasping as Bolin doesn't. Pabu licks the boy's still face as she silently pleas for his eyes to open. Her head falls on his chest, a faint heartbeat drumming slowly. Hopefully. Lifting his head up onto her lap with one hand and the other over his mouth, her fingers twist above his lips, pulling out trapped liquid inside.

"Please."

Signs of life from his face erupt in the form of a coughing fit, excess water flying out of his lungs. Panting, Bolin opens his eyes to see the girl watching him worriedly as Pabu curls up in between the two.

"Heh. Thank you." Bolin grins with another cough. Grateful, she smiles back. "You're from earlier. I'm Bolin, what's your name?"

"A-Akira." The one thing she's sure of. The fire ferret lets out another squeak of chatter, climbing onto Akira's shoulder.

"And that's Pabu. He likes you, too." Bolin laughs as Akira does, Pabu's nose twitching on her cheek. "Oh, Akira, are you a-"

"What are you doing with my brother?" An accusation makes the girl jump up and causes Pabu to leap back down as the figure of Mako races towards them, highlighted with intimidating flames.

"Mako!" Bolin tries to get to his feet to show him everything's okay, but Akira's already on hers and fleeing. "Akira, wait!"

But she's gone.

* * *

It's late at night, the streets empty and cold. Akira shivers as she tries to find a safe place to sleep, her mind stuck on Bolin's sad face as she ran away from the angered wrath of his brother. The maze of the City captures her once again, the dark kept at bay by lamp posts.

Akira wanders into the back alleys, the ends of shops and homes letting off comforting heat.

"Looky here, Howzon, it's your little friend."

"Can it, Yikka."

"Still sore, Howy?"

"Shut up, Junbe."

From the corner of her eye, the Triad slowly approaches. Howzon flicks his wrist, sparks illuminating his hands and making shadows dance.

"Locals are talking about the kid who fought back. Ruining our image, but I'm gonna burn it

out." He holds the flame before her face, the small scars on her right screaming in her head.

"You scared her enough, How, c'mon let's get dinner." Their earthbender reasons, his stomach in agreement.

"Yeah, your face scares kids just fine." Yikka snorts.

Howzon remains eerily silent, the corners of his mouth twitching as well as his bending hand losing its fire. His deep yellow eyes widen, the only part of him that he finds himself in control of. The girl hasn't blinked since he brought the flames to her face. Howzon can't believe this, nor recall it being a full moon tonight. There's no other explanation, only one terrifying and legendary man who has mastered this technique.

"I was kidding, Howzon. Knock it off before Junbe decides to eat one of us." Yikka yawns with an elbow to Junbe's side. Curious without a response from the hot-headed firebender, the two walk over to their comrade and still girl.

"Bl-bl-oo-" Howzon grunts, the invisible grasp on his body squeezing him tighter as his companions get closer and then passes out.

Akira hears the body fall from far away, bringing her back to reality. The sounds of the other two Triad members mix in confusion and rage, their friend limp on the ground with her as suspect. Akira knows it was her, the feeling of what she had done sickeningly washing over her entirely. She had been controlling him, from the inside without so much as a thought. Howzon's blood betraying him for her. Tears of fright and disgust blink out as Akira runs again for the third time that day, not daring to see if they stopped chasing after her or caring for Howzon.


	3. The Noodlery

Famine rips at her belly, fatigue threatening to take Akira down as she goes as fast as her legs let her. The wafting scent of something cooking draws Akira to an open back door, an abandoned bubbling pot the source of the smell. Peeking inside of the restaurant kitchen but seeing no one, the hungry girl sneaks in. An array of various spices and herbs line the counter by the stove top along with a wooden spoon, all out of her reach. A stool stands at a corner of the room, offering the child a boost to view the contents of the simmering noodles inside. Akira's hand lingers over the spoon, then to her own. Using waterbending, the dark green noodles move about in the liquid. Just like the man had done for her birthday, the woman smiling as she had held their child up to watch him work. The memory lingers on her tongue, the flavor contained somewhere on the counter. Akira tastes the soup after each addition, fingers twirling over the stirring mass. Then at last, the familiar soup is complete, the memory reliving in her head.

_"Here, Akira, try some. It's yummy." The woman cooes, offering her daughter a noodle with a chopstick._

_"Mmmmmm!" The little girl giggles after eating it. "Yummy, yum!"_

_"Glad you like it." Her father smiles, wondering someday if he can take them to where the dish originated. "Now, how about-"_

"What are you doing?" A voice asks, coming from a doorway partially covered by a curtain. Akira jumps, ready to run again, but her stomach argues that she won't get anywhere. The owner of the voice calmly walks to the pot, taking a look inside as Akira watches uneasily. He takes the spoon, the girl half-expecting him to hit her with it, only to dip it into the soup and take a test.

"I hope you don't plan on running, child. It would be a terrible shame if you did now."

Narook pulls out a bowl for the child as well as chopsticks, portioning some of the creation into it. Wordlessly, he beckons for Akira to follow him out the doorway and to the mostly vacant dining area.

"Sit down and eat. No need to look so afraid. You deserve it."

* * *

After consuming the soup, Akira falls asleep on the booth, stomach and mind finally at peace. Narook lightly chuckles to himself at the sight, returning the dishes and waiting for the last customers to leave. Gently as not to wake her, he lifts the tiny body into his arms and carries the girl to a home right next to the Seaweed Noodlery.

"Narook-_oh_." His wife lets the pair in, eyes on the girl.

"An orphan." He replies, explaining all he knows as his wife listens as he sets Akira on a couch. "No place to go."

"Narook-"

"Hunna, I know she isn't Nini." He can tell already what she was going to say, and embraces her in a tight hug. "But this girl needs a family. Nini will never be replaceable."

Hunna nods, hugging her husband back and with a kiss on his cheek.

"What's her name?" She asks, leaving Narook for a moment to retrieve a blanket for the sleeping body.

"I don't know. I suppose we'll have to ask her in the morning." Narook blanks, not remembering having asked the jumpy child anything.

"Oh, Narook." Hunna playfully pats him on his head. "The Noodlery'll be the end of you."

"She distracted me with soup. Remember that recipe I had lost? Here I was, walking into the kitchen, and there it was! You should have seen the way she was bending."

"The poor girl." She sighs, unable to tell from teasing or sympathy as she brushes hair off Akira's face, the small marks from burns revealing themselves behind it. "Oh, dear. You poor thing."

Narook goes to his knees, examining Hunna's discovery with a shocked look.

"I'll only ask her name when she wakes. She's just a child, but scars have their own story when ready to speak."

* * *

The days pass by into a full week since the girl's arrival into Narook and Hunna's home. It feels like a dream to her, the shadow of a similar one hiding beneath. Hunna takes Akira shopping for clothing to replace the dirtied dress worn since entering Republic City. Akira tucks it away in under the couch affectionately deemed her bed when the woman is distracted. Hunna manages to get a word or two from the child named Akira, but doesn't dare to question the burn scars hidden beneath the dark brown hair. Narook cares for the girl when Hunna leaves for her own job at a bakery, taking Akira to the Noodlery to replicate the soup from before.

"You're pretty good, Akira." He praises when she finishes, the contents swirling from her waterbending. A nod and small smile come from her in return.

"You're...good." Akira mumbles, wondering what happened to the good boy with green eyes. _Bolin._


End file.
